Everyone's got one, why can't I?
by IntenslyHonest
Summary: Meeting your Soul Mate online is the big thing once you turn 18. The names on your wrist never fade, never burn, but constantly remind you that you belong somewhere else. However, some people refuse to be loved. More info inside.
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys. I was reading some soul mate fanfiction last night and started thinking about loop holes. Anyway I came up with this. Please tell me what you think, theres more to it. I just really want to post this before I knock out, so please excuse any errors. This is the first of this kind I've ever written; I usually find soul mate stories silly, but, I'll see how I do with this one.

* * *

_Meeting your Soul Mate online is the big thing once you turn 18. The names on your wrist never fade, never burn, but constantly remind you that you belong somewhere else. However, some people refuse to be loved. Dean's waited patiently for 12 years for his soul mate to come find him, but he has been taking his sweet time. When they finally do meet, will it be the romantic rendezvous they both so desperately need?_

* * *

Since the dawn of time, every human alive knew that eventually a name would appear on their wrist. On the morning of their 18th birthday, the name would arrive, scrawled elegantly in black, and it was at that point when the bearer of the name would become obsessed. They would crave to find this person, this strange man or woman whom they most likely had never met, the incessant need to meet them, to see what the universe deemed was so special about them. In the early times it was unlikely they would ever meet. With millions, eventually, billions of people all over the world, this person, with this particular name, could be anywhere. How many Johns in the world? Marys'? Adams? Elizabeths'?

Yes, many went their whole lives not knowing the person they were destined to spend their lives with, and many were disappointed. But mankind went on, marriages were formed regardless of the name on their wrists, babies were made to continue the race, and the world continued to grow.

It wasn't until the late 1990's when a software programmer came up with an idea. An online database to attempt to find your soul mate. You see, the name on his wrist continued to puzzle him. He desperately wanted to meet this person. So he set out on his mission.

Within a few months' time, his website went live, and although the world was skeptical, members began to create profiles. It wasn't anything complicated, a basic profile with your name and a picture. Underneath would be one simple sentences.

"_My Soul Mates name is _."_

Eventually, the world took notice as more and more of their friends and family began finding their soul mates. For years the website thrived with new arrivals every day. The names on their wrist finally had meaning and for some, they couldn't be happier.

Others however, weren't so lucky.

Dean Winchester was one of those people.

When Dean turned 18, and the name appeared on his wrist, a small smile had formed on his lips. He read the name out loud slowly, enjoying the way it flowed off his tongue with ease.

_Castiel._

It was a unique name. Like none he had heard before. His heart swelled with the joy in knowing someday he would be loved unconditionally by this person who he would enjoy getting to know. Dean wasn't one for romance, but he knew he would treat them right. He would provide for them. He would surprise them. He would take care of them. He would love them.

Yes, Dean couldn't wait to meet this Castiel in person, and the day after he turned 18, he went online to sign up for the website. He paid his joining fee, which he had been saving up for months for, and uploaded a picture of himself, along with a picture of his wrist. He was proud of the name, and he wanted his future lover to see that.

"_My Soul Mates name is Castiel."_

And that was it.

Once he had completed his profile, alone with some tidbits of information (likes and dislikes) he clicked the search button, ignoring the pounding in his heart.

_Castiel._

When the search turned up empty, he tried not to become upset.

This wasn't an unusual case. Dean knew there was an explanation. They hadn't turned 18 yet. They didn't know their soul mates name. They hadn't created a profile yet. Dean had closed his computer with a hopeful thought that someday soon he would know his soul mate.

Dean continued to check the website. For the first few weeks, it was daily, sometimes twice if he was feeling anxious. Daily soon turned to weekly, and after a few years, weekly turned into month's in between.

He hadn't given up hope just yet. As the years went by, the website upgraded, and eventually he was able to sign up for notifications. If anyone with the name 'Castiel' signed up, with a soul mates name of 'Dean', he would know about it thru a text from the site.

Dean was nearing 30 years old, and still, had not received one single message.

Dean continued living his life, finishing school and starting up his own business. He had a few relationships, here and there, but no one he dated was enough to make him forget about his soul mate. The women, and eventually men, he saw never sated the hunger he had for finding his _Castiel_.

On the eve of his 30th birthday, Dean sat by a window in his office and pondered life. He felt cold. He wondered why the universe would do this to humans. Why not just take away the names and let them choose for themselves? Why did he have to be perfectly matched for a person he would most likely never meet?

Why did his Castiel not want him?

He had thought many times about going on a search of his own for this mystery person with a strange name. He had the money to do so.

Then he remembered, they could easily find him themselves. They just didn't want to.

After years of being alone, Dean masked his pain and held back the tears that threatened to fall. After 12 years, it had become easy.

* * *

Somewhere far, but not too far, away, another man sat at his computer, staring at the Soul Mates website. He tapped his fingers on the wood of the desk, chewing his lip out of habit. He was a quiet man, who enjoyed his peace. He liked being alone for the most part. The world had not been kind to him, and he preferred to stay hidden from it.

He never had an interest in meeting his soul mate. He couldn't understand how the universe could know what was right for him, and everyone else in the world. He was an outsider. A loner. He was almost surprised when a name appeared on his 18th birthday.

The thought of being rejected scared him more than being eternally alone. He was no good at dating, no good at small talk. He knew if his soul mate ever met him, they would run screaming in the opposite direction. That's just the way his life was.

As this lonely man tapped away at his desk, he looked down at his wrist. He lifted his hand from the desk and ran his fingers over the beautiful scrawl.

_Dean._

It was a simple name. Common. Most definitely male. He wondered how long this _Dean _has been waiting for him. He wondered sometimes if Dean thought about him. He tried not to dwell too much, the pain of rejection always jabbing at the back of his mind, but sometimes, he couldn't help himself.

On really bad nights, he would ponder about Dean's personality. Would they click immediately, like in the movies? Would Dean be the one person to understand him? Would he be the man to change his dull, gray life into something colorful, something with a purpose?

Eventually he would shake himself out of his thoughts and pour a glass of whiskey to bring him back to his senses, which is what he did at this point in time, removing the hand from his wrist and grabbing the glass next to his laptop. He screen stared at him and he stared back, willing it to make the decision for him. When it did no such thing, he sighed and placed his hands on the keyboard.

"My name is-"

He took it as a sign when his phone began to ring right then.

"Hello, Gabriel." He answered.

"Why hello there, lover boy. Still sitting alone in the dark, drinking your sorrows away?"

"Why would you assume that?"

"Because I'm sitting outside your apartment in the car and all I see is your computer light on. Why don't you just sign up already?"

"Can we not have this discussion again?"

"What am I gonna do with you, tsk tsk. Any who, I'm on my way to get Anna and we're going for drinks. Get changed and get your ass down here."

"I don't really feel like it."

"Too bad, Castiel, you're coming."

Castiel groaned at this.

"Stop whining. You need to get out more. Come on! Don't make me come up there!"

* * *

Castiel stumbled home soon after last call, around 3 in the morning, flopping down on his couch. Time out with his brother and sister always made him feel a little better about life. Made him not feel like such a failure.

He blinked wearily and looked around his apartment. It was dark, except for the glow of his computer screen. He stared at the light, wondering once again if he was making the right decision in choosing to be alone.

He knew he had drank too much. He knew he should just go to sleep, deal with things in the morning. He looked down at his wrist and rubbed the name gently.

"Dean…"

He wanted to be loved. He wanted to feel what others felt. That wonderful feeling of belonging. Of loving and being loved back. He may not agree with the way the universe dealt with things, but at 3 in the morning, he was feeling extra lonely, and he knew how nice it would be to hold someone right about now.

He got up and walked over to the computer. He tilted the screen towards him and, without sitting, finished his bio and pressed the post button. The last thing he had to do to make his profile public was write in his soul mates name. He looked down at his wrist and smiled before looking back to the screen and typing carefully.

"_My Soul Mates name is Dean."_


	2. Chapter 2

Dean woke the next morning with a blistering headache. He rolled onto his back, spreading his arms and legs out on his large bed. He looked over at his bedside table, where a bottle of scotch sat, empty. He was vaguely reminded of 'celebrating' his 30th birthday alone in his apartment. His brother and friends had wanted to take him out, but Dean brushed them off, convincing them he was tired and just wanted to go home.

When in reality, he just didn't feel like it.

He just didn't feel like doing anything anymore.

He sighed and rubbed his hands over his face, looking through half lidded eyes at the window. There was still snow on the ground from winter, but soon it would be spring. Another spring. And then summer. And pretty soon it would be his birthday again.

"The years are just floating by..." he mumbled to himself.

Dean lie in bed, falling in and out of sleep for hours. He knew he had nowhere to be, no responsibilities today. That's what kept him closed off from the world this morning, and his phone, which was glowing with the retrieval of a test message, stashed inside the pocket of the pants he wore last night. Dean sat unknowingly in bed for most of the day, unaware that destiny was ringing the doorbell.

* * *

Castiel rolled out of bed early afternoon, pushing the button on his coffee machine and walked towards his bathroom. He took a warm shower, washing the sleep away, and when he walked back into the kitchen in only a towel, his coffee was ready for him. He sat at his counter and breathed in deeply. It felt good to sleep in, and he had no deadlines coming up for his book, so he was in no rush to do anything. In fact, his plans today were to lay on his couch and watch movies.

As he made his way into his living room, he glanced over at his computer. The night before suddenly came back to him.

"Oh no…" He whispered. He rushed over to the open computer screen and saw his Soul Mate page open and completed. He groaned.

"Why did I do that! Oh no…oh no…"

He knew it was too late now. He knew his soul mate had probably already seen the message. Maybe if he deleted his page…

Before he could, however, he thought about what made him finish it. The longing to be with someone. The hope of being loved for the quiet, shy, nerdy guy that he always has been. To be happy for once in his life instead of just content. He rubbed a hand over his face. This was not how he had planned his day.

After a few minutes of contemplation, he shut the computer screen and sat down on his couch. He stared at the blank screen on his TV and took a deep breath.

Maybe everything would be ok?

He took another breath and reached for the remote, hoping to put his troubles aside for the day, and get lost in his imagination. He was glad Gandalf understood his need for a quest.

* * *

Dean finally stumbled out of bed late afternoon. He took a shower and made himself a sandwich, while laying a file out on the table to look at while he ate.

Deans' business took up most of his life, mainly because he wanted it to. It was an escape from the real world, and he was excellent with numbers. His clients trusted him to make great decisions with their money, and he definitely did, practically running the company on his own, save for a few geniuses that he hired to help with the work load once business really took off for him a few years ago.

He was proud of his company. It was something he made out of nothing. Much like his Impala, his cherished car from his childhood that he watched grow old and rusty in his backyard. One day he decided enough was enough and rebuilt the entire thing. It was his baby. And he treated his company just as he treated her.

Dean finished his sandwich and scooped up the papers, making his way to the living room to watch some TV. After half an hour of watching a football game that he really didn't care for, he decided to call Sam and see what he was up to.

He retraced his steps and found the previous nights' clothes bundled up on the floor at the foot of the bed. He rummaged through the pockets and found his phone, and turned it on to check his messages. He had a few missed calls from Sam, no doubt complaining about not letting him take him out on his birthday, and a call from Charlie, one of his employees. As he was about to call her back, he noticed an icon for his text messages. He clicked on it and saw the logo for SoulMates.

He felt his breath hitch as he stared at the screen. Could this be it? Could all of his years of waiting and waiting finally paid off?

And why the hell was he just getting this now? Was his soul mate someone who was literally just out of high school? He had a million questions running through his head. He closed his eyes and tried to breathe normally, sitting down on the edge of his bed. When he opened his eyes, yes the text was still there, and yes, it wasn't a trick his mind was playing on him.

He eagerly scrolled down to the text.

'_Dean Winchester, we are pleased to announce that a member has joined by the name of Castiel Novak, with a SoulMates name of Dean. Please log into your account for more information.'_

He breathed deeply, he could feel his palms sweating as he reread the message over and over.

_Castiel Novak._

The name made his heart beat fast in a way it hadn't in years.

Maybe because this time it was real.

He had a chance to meet his soul mate.

He finally had a chance for happiness.

Right?

He made his way to his computer and logged into his account. Even though it was running like normal, it felt like forever for Dean to pull his page up. Everything was going slowly, except for Deans' thoughts, and his heart. When he finally made it to where he wanted to be, he clicked on the name that had haunted Deans dreams for 12 years.

_Castiel._

_Castiel Novak._

The first thing he noticed about the man, yes, man, was the ocean blue eyes. He stared at the picture of this man, who seemed to be staring back. Dean found himself getting lost in those eyes.

The rest of the picture was much the same. Black, unruly hair that Dean wanted to run his fingers through, a perfectly shaped face, and lips that looked too good to be true.

He was an angel.

A beautiful angel and Dean began to fall in love.

A wave of euphoria rushed over him and he wanted to contact this man. Call him up and beg him to see him, to love him. He felt himself wanting it more than anything.

Until he glanced down at Castiels age.

* * *

"Twenty-six Sam! The guy has known about me for 8 years! And he never bothered to try and find me!" Dean yelled frustratingly into the phone. Sam sighed and listened to his brothers' rant. "Why the hell should I even contact him now? Why all of a sudden did he decide to search for me?"

"Dean, I don't have the answers for you. Maybe you should just ask him yourself. You've waited this long to find him, and now you have. Maybe you should just calm down and give this a chance."

Dean scoffed. "Give this a chance? How do I even know this will work out? He didn't seem to care about my feelings for 8 years, why would I want to be with a person like that?"

"Because, Dean, finding your soul mate is…well, it's incredible. It's the best feeling in the world, dude, I can't explain it. Go see for yourself. I'm sure he has an explanation, and if you two are meant to be, you'll work it out."

"I hate you, Sammy."

"No, you love me."

"Bitch."

"Jerk."

Dean shook his head and sighed before hanging up the phone. Even though he hated to admit it, Sam was right about one thing. The only way Dean was going to get answers was to ask Castiel himself. Did he really want to know the reason behind it?

It almost felt like a betrayal.

To know the person who the universe deemed perfect for him spent the last 8 years ignoring the call of his soul mate.

He's heard of people denying the universes plans for them, tattooing over the name on their wrist to cover it up and trying to forget. Those people who want to be able to choose for themselves. There was many out there. Maybe Castiel was one of those people.

Hell, Dean had the same thoughts after 12 years of not being able to fill the void in his heart where Castiels name conquered.

But no matter how hard Dean tried, he couldn't find anyone that seemed to suit his personality, that wanted the same things as him, that he would be happy and proud to take home to his small but close family. He always had that secret wish to be found by his soul mate.

He just didn't think it would happen like this.

After hours of thinking, his anger had subsided and he decided he would at least give the guy a chance to speak for his actions. He knew it would drive him crazy if he never found of the reason his soul mate decided he didn't need him for 8 years. Dean knew it wasn't his fault, he knew Castiel didn't know him, knew nothing about him. It had to be a decision he made blindly, for reasons unknown.

But Dean would find out if it was the last thing he did.

* * *

Most of the day had gone by quickly, and Castiel was enjoying lying on his couch and watching the adventures through Mordor. The sun had set and Castiel decided it was time to make dinner for himself. Dinner, for Castiel, consisted of pulling a TV dinner out of the freezer and popping it into the microwave. Satisfied that he had set it to the correct time, he glanced over at the closed computer screen.

He hadn't thought about it all day.

Not once did his thoughts drift to his soul mate and the mistake he may or may not have made by contacting him. It did however pain him to know he went that long without thinking about the man he was destined to love.

Even though Castiel wasn't into the whole soul mates thing, he still thought of Dean every day.

And now, he had his chance to meet him, to learn his life story, to tell a story of his own.

To make happy memories to override the bad.

He made his way to the computer and opened it up. His soul mates page was still up, and when he refreshed the page, he saw the icon in the corner, alerting him that they may have found his soul mate. He took a deep breath and clicked on the alert.

As soon as the page loaded, Castiel felt his heart skip a beat. His breath hitched and his hand found its way to his mouth, covering it in shock.

Dean.

Dean Winchester.

He was absolutely stunning.

Castiel stared hard at the picture of this supposed man that he was destined for. He didn't know where to begin. He didn't know which part of Dean captivated him the most.

The first thing he noticed were the eyes that stared back at him through the screen. He could see flecks of gold swirled delicately thru his forest green irises', warm and inviting. He could see the freckles scattered on the nose and cheeks of the bronze skin that his soul mate adorned. Light brown hair atop his head and a demeanor that seemed to say 'I know I'm a bad ass."

"Wow." Castiel shivered. There had to be some mistake. There's no way he would get lucky enough to be soul mated with someone so gorgeous.

But then, he thought, he's probably a jerk.

Castiel sat back in his chair and covered his face with his hands.

"This was a mistake. Such a mistake. And now he's going to want to meet me and then he'll be a total douche bag and leave me, and fuck! I need a drink."

Before he had a chance to grab the bottle of whiskey in his cabinet, the computer chimed, alerting him that a message had been received. He uncovered his face and peeked at the screen.

_Dean Winchester is waiting to chat. Accept?_

And there it is. The moment Castiel dreaded since he was a teenager. The first contact. He stared at the screen, willing it to go away, but no such luck.

He groaned and clicked the accept button. There was no going back. He carefully typed the first words he would ever say to his Soul Mate.

"_**Hello Dean."**_

"_Castiel."_


	3. Chapter 3

Hey guys, happy thanksgiving weekend. I haven't forgotten any of my stories, just have really bad writers block. But I'm trying to get them out, just be patient. I want to be finished with all of them before the new year. Also, if you read these on AO3, there are pictures included that the boys see from their profile. I will also add some more throughout the story. So if you wanna see the pictures you can head on over there and view the fic or if someone wants to tell me how to put them on here, i will do that too. On with the show.

* * *

"_**Hello Dean."**_

"_Castiel."_

Dean stared at the message, fingers hovering over the keys as all thoughts of what he wanted to say simply vanished. He didn't know where to begin. He was angry, yes. But a part of him wanted to forgive. A part of him wanted to be happy. And that would mean being on good terms with his soul mate. But what to say now?

"_**How are you?"**_

Dean quirked an eyebrow. How are you? Really?

"8 years and you ask how I am…" he muttered.

"_Ok…look, I'm just gonna come out and say it. Why the HELL has it taken you eight years to contact me?"_

There. All his worries placed into one simple sentence. Maybe he shouldn't have done that though. After a minute of silence from his soul mate, he began to worry.

"_**I don't really have an excuse."**_

Dean covered his face with his hands.

"_**I'm very sorry you had to wait for me…I just never really believed in Soul Mates."**_

* * *

Castiel wasn't lying. It was the honest to God truth. He wanted to be honest to his soul mate. He knew he might be angry with him. It's one of the reasons he kept putting it off. He had already waited so long to meet with Castiel, that Castiel thought it might cause too much trouble.

"_**I just"**_

Castiel waited patiently for Dean to elaborate.

"_**I'm going to be honest here, Castiel. I'm more than a little irritated. I don't know what to say right now."**_

Castiel paled.

"_It's understandable, Dean. I apologize if you do not want to continue with this."_

"_**No! I mean, I just need a second."**_

"_Of course. Take all the time you need."_

* * *

Damnit. Dean was trying to be angry. He wanted to yell at Castiel, wanted to make him feel the pain he had been feeling all these years. But then the guy had to go and be generally sorry for it. He had to be a _nice _guy about it.

Dean ran a hand over his face in frustration.

Ok, he thought, let's just move on. Get to know him. Ask him questions.

* * *

"_**So…tell me about yourself."**_

Castiel stared blankly at the screen. It wasn't something he had prepared himself for. He didn't think Dean would be ok with this, at least not so soon. He searched his mind for tidbits of information about himself. He couldn't think of anything interesting.

Castiel began regretting his decision to reach out once again.

"How can I tell him about myself when there's nothing to tell?"

Panic set in. He felt his hands shaking in his lap. His mouth became dry and his licked his lips subconsciously.

"_**Cas?"**_

The use of the nickname brought him back to the moment at hand. He breathed deeply before responding.

"_I'm sorry, Dean. I honestly cannot think of anything of interest about myself."_

Honesty. It was the best route, right?

He waited for the response, which came a minute later.

"_**Sad to hear that. Let me start."**_

"_**Born and raised here in Texas. I have a younger brother, Sammy. I own my own business. I like rock music and Star Wars. I drive a '67 Chevy Impala that I build from the ground up. I'm 6'1", 195 lbs (give or take) and I have a fear of flying."**_

"_**Not so bad, right? Now you try."**_

Castiel read the message and wasn't sure how to feel. Dean was so calm and collected. From just a few sentences he could see that he was a well put together man. Castiel mimicked Deans writing and began to type.

* * *

Dean smiled at himself for taking the reins. Obviously, this guy had some self-esteem issues if he couldn't even come up with a simple introduction. But Dean was a patient man. He had been waiting 12 years for this…he could wait a few more minutes.

"_**I was born in Washington, but moved to New York 6 years ago for work. I am a writer. I have an older brother and younger sister, both whom live within a few miles of me. I suppose I enjoy classical music to any others, but I'm open to hearing yours. My favorite movie is Lord of the Rings; I tend to gravitate towards a weekend trilogy marathon when I'm not feeling up to par with things. I don't drive, there's plenty of taxis and subways around that it's not necessary, but I rarely leave the apartment anyway. I probably would've starved by now if it wasn't for delivery. I'm 5'11" and three quarters (yes, I measured exactly) and weigh 177lbs. My fear is not flying, but falling."**_

Dean gaped at the long message.

"Get this guy talking and he really goes…" He chuckled before clearing his throat. He reread the message a few times, absorbing the information like a sponge.

"_Man, Cas, I can't believe you said there's nothing interesting about you."_

Too much?

* * *

Castiels cheeks were burning from the compliment. He tried to control himself, but couldn't stop the smile that formed on his face. Dean liked him!

Though, he supposes he shouldn't be too shocked. Maybe his soul mate was supposed to be someone who thought he was interesting. Someone who forgave him for his jackassery that sometimes reared its ugly head.

"_I very much appreciate the compliment Dean. And I was just thinking the same about you…the interesting part that is."_

"_**Thanks, Cas."**_

"_**Wait, you don't mind 'Cas', right?"**_

"_Of course not, Dean."_

"_**Awesome."**_

It got quiet for a few moments as Castiel contemplated what to say next. He wanted to keep the conversation going, he was an _author_ for god sakes! He wrote books upon books full of character details, plot twists, heroes, villains, kept millions of readers entertained and awaiting his next book. And yet, here, with _Dean Winchester_, he was at a loss for words.

There came a knock on his door, and Castiel looked up from the computer. He knew who it would be. He only ever received visitors from his family. He typed a quick _"BRB" _and got up to answer it. As he expected, his brother stood waiting, bottle of wine in one hand, and a grocery bag in the other.

"Hello little brother!" He said, pushing past him. Castiel rolled his eyes and shut the door. "So, sulking away still?"

Castiel shrugged his shoulders and looked over to his desk. Gabriel raised an eyebrow.

"Did you…did you finally do it?"

"Well, I…was feeling courageous when I got home last night."

"Cassie! You're telling me you got drunk and lonely and completed your profile? Did he find you? Did you talk to him?" Gabriel was beaming, nearly bouncing up and down. Castiel blushed.

"We, uh, we've been talking for a little bit…"

"Oh hot damn, Cassie, I'm so happy for you! Let me see him!"

"No, Gabe!" Castiel wasn't fast enough as he attempted to stop Gabriel from reaching the computer. He tilted the screen upwards and skimmed thru the messages.

"Wow _Cas, _you're kind of a dork."

"Shut up, Gabe."

"But man, look at this guy." He whistled as he brought the picture larger. Castiels breath hitched as Dean's face now took up his entire screen. Gabe snickered.

"You're so in love it's disgusting."

"I'm not in love, Gabe, I'm getting to know my soul mate. And it just so happens he looks like a super model."

"Hey, what if that's not really him? What if it's edited, or he had like, a lot of make up on? You should ask him for another pic."

"Gabe, I don't think he would do that."

"Why not Cassie, not everyone is as truthful as you. Just ask him."

"No, Gabe." Gabriel placed the wine on the table and dropped the bag on the floor.

"Fine, baby bro, I will help you out." Gabriel swiftly began to type. Castiel placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him, but it was too late.

"_Can you take a pic of yourself right now? I want to see the real you."_

"_**That is the real me. I mean, I guess it was a year or so ago, but that's it."**_

"_Please."_

Gabriel smirked at the screen.

"You're making me sound weird. Move."

"_I'm so sorry Dean, that was my brother. He means well, but he's a bit of a buffoon."_

"Hey!"

"_**Don't worry about it, Cas, I don't mind taking a pic. Give me a second."**_

Castiel look at Gabe, who gave him a thumbs up. He rustled thru the bag and pulled out a package of steaks, and walked into the kitchen.

"Cassie, don't tell me you were going to eat this TV dinner in the microwave, which you've obviously forgotten about."

"Well, I was going to eat it…I just kind of forgot."

"That figures. Well, we're having steak tonight." Castiel could hear him opening the garbage and tossing the cold food into it. He heard a ping and turned back to the computer.

Holy hell, he thought to himself. He must've made some sort of undignified noise, because Gabe came running into the room.

"Wow baby bro, I'll hand it to ya, the universe is giving you a break."

"_**How's that? Good enough for your brother?"**_

"_Yes. You have shut him up now."_

"_**Glad to hear that. Now, I suppose it's only fair for you to send one of your own? I mean, if you want, but, you know…"**_

"_Ok…I think I can do that. Unfortunately I don't think I'm as well put together as you right now."_

"_**Nah, I'm sure you're fine."**_

Castiel adjusted the screen and turned on his webcam. He flipped the light switch for the room and attempted to take a picture. After a few tries, he finally took one that he deemed acceptable and posted it to Dean.

"_**Cas. Cas, wow, you have the bluest eyes I've ever seen."**_

"_Is that a good thing?"_

Castiel smirked to himself. He knew he was being a bit coy now, but he couldn't help himself. He knew his eyes shone brightly in that particular picture. Though, he could've at least brushed his hair.

"_**Let's just say, anything I see that color will be referred to as 'Cas Blue' haha."**_

"Cassie, stop flirting and come help me. You will learn to cook one of these days."

* * *

"_**My brother is requesting my assistance in the kitchen. I must take my leave now I think."**_

Dean frowned. He was enjoying the semi flirting that seemed to be happening.

"_Aw, ok. Do you want to continue chatting with me tomorrow?"_

No, Dean, that didn't sound desperate at all, he said to himself.

"_**Of course I do Dean, though I thought I was the one who should be asking you that?"**_

"_Course I do, Cas. How about tomorrow evening? I know it's a bit of a time difference, so I'll log on and wait for you while I get some work done. I'm sure we'll catch each other."_

"_**That sounds lovely, Dean. I will see you tomorrow then."**_

"_Night, Cas."_

"_**Goodnight, Dean."**_

Dean smiled widely as he recalled their conversation, saving the pictures to his computer. He couldn't believe how easily he gave in to Cas, how angry he had been at first, how the anger melted away within the first few minutes of conversation. It hadn't been a long conversation by any means. But it was enough to put Dean at ease for now.

Now he knew who his soul mate was.

He knew he could get past the anger if he tried.

He knew he finally had a chance to be happy.

There was still so many questions to be asked and answered, so many issues to sort through. But for the first time in so many years, he felt OK with the waiting.


End file.
